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FAQ FOR
LIBRARY DISTANCE LEARNERS
Questions from A to Z
ABSTRACT
| Q. |
What is an abstract? |
| A. |
An abstract is a brief summary of an
article or book. Some electronic databases may contain abstracts only, while others may
contain the full-text of articles. |
| Q. |
Can I use an abstract as one of my
sources? If so, how do I cite it for my works cited page? |
| A. |
Sometimes abstracts can be fairly
lengthy, like those that appear in the ERIC database, and it is permissible to use an
abstract as a source, as long as it contains enough specific information for your purpose.
Click here to see how to cite
an abstract for the works cited page. |
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ASK A QUESTION
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
| Q. |
What is the difference between a
bibliography and a works cited list? |
| A. |
A bibliography is a listing of
books, articles and other materials that are related to a topic. Bibliographies are
frequently found at the end of encyclopedia articles, at the end of journal articles, and
at the end of books. Bibliographies are useful because they lead you to additional
materials on your topic. A works cited list is a list of
works that have actually have been cited in one’s research paper. |
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BOOKS
| Q. |
How can I locate books on my
topic? |
| A. |
You have access to the
DCCC Library Catalog, which contain books at all of
the DCCC locations, to
other library
catalogs on the world wide web, and to
WorldCat, which helps you determine which libraries own specific titles. Click here for more
information about using electronic library catalogs. |
| Q. |
As a distance learner, can I check
out books? |
| A. |
Yes, you can request that books be
sent to you from either the DCCC libraries or from other libraries. However, this process
may take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. Click
here to see a full explanation for sending requests for books. |
| Q. |
I’m accustomed to finding
books in libraries that use the Dewey Decimal System, and now I find that college and
academic libraries use the Library of Congress System. How is the Library of Congress
System different? |
| A. |
In The
Library of Congress Classification System, all books are shelved together according to
the major subject content, without regard to the fact that the book may be fiction,
non-fiction, or biographical. This is a major difference from the Dewey Decimal System
used by school and public libraries. |
| Q. |
Can I find full length books on
the Internet? |
| A. |
Yes, there are books on the
Internet. Click here to
learn more
about books on the Internet. |
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BOOLEAN
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CALL NUMBERS
| Q. |
What are call numbers? And what is
the difference between finding books in a library that uses the Dewey System and a library
that uses the Library of Congress System? |
| A. |
A call number is the unique
address that tells where on the shelves a book will be located. Most academic and college
libraries use the Library of Congress System while most public and school libraries use
the Dewey System. To learn more about call numbers and these systems, click
here. |
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CITATION
| Q. |
What is a citation? Will I get all
the information I need from a citation? |
| A. |
A citation is very brief. It is a
bibliographic record - a description of an item in the library that includes author,
title, imprint, subject headings, and a physical description. Click here to learn the meaning of this and other
library terms. |
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CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS
- CURRENT EVENTS - PRO & CON
|
Q. |
Is there a good
database I can use for controversial topics? |
|
A. |
Yes, use the
Opposing Viewpoints database to find articles that will give pro and
con arguments for topics. |
|
Q. |
Are there good
websites for pro and con arguments and current events topics? |
|
A. |
Yes,
click
here to see a list of these websites |
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DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM
| Q. |
Do I need to know the Dewey
Decimal System to find a book? |
| A. |
That depends. If you are using an
academic library at a university or a college, you will need to locate books using the Library of Congress System.
If you are using a public library or a high school library, you will probably be using the
Dewey Decimal System. |
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E-BOOKS
| Q. |
Are there any e-books available for me to use? |
| A. |
Yes. However, currently the list of titles available in e-books format is limited, but new titles are being added continually.
Click here for access to links that will lead you to e-books. |
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ELECTRONIC DATABASES
| Q. |
As a distance learner, can I
access the same electronic databases that are used by students in the library? |
| A. |
Yes, first, you will need to be
enrolled in one of our distance learner courses. Then, to gain access to the
Online Databases,
you will need to enter your student ID number. |
| Q. |
Where can I see a list of the
electronic databases that are available? How do I know which one to choose? |
| A. |
Click here
to see an alphabetical list of the databases that includes an explanation of
what sort of information is indexed by each of them. For example, some
databases are used primarily for business research, some for medical
research, etc., and others are more appropriate for topics of a general
nature. For more help in choosing the best electronic database for your
topic, scroll down the page and click on "What are you looking for?"
The drop-down menu will give you choices for different types of sources and
topics. |
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ENCYCLOPEDIAS
| Q. |
Are there any free encyclopedias
on the Internet? |
| A. |
Yes, there are some. A number of
Internet sites call themselves an "encyclopedia." However, you should judge for
yourself. Some are truly encyclopedic in nature, while others are merely a collection of
sites related to a particular topic. Click here to
see sites that are worth your consideration. |
| Q. |
What print encyclopedias would be
recommended? |
| A. |
Click here to see a list of print encyclopedias.
Many print encyclopedias are also available in CD-ROM versions that allow the reader to
download the text to a disk. Check at your library for access. |
| Q. |
My instructor says that I’m
not to use encyclopedias in my research. Where else can I find good reference information? |
| A. |
Your teacher is talking about
general encyclopedias, like World Book, not subject encyclopedias. Subject
encyclopedias are always an excellent source by any teacher’s standards. These
reference sources are a researcher's treasure trove of information. Most of these gems
didn't even exist for us ten years ago. Articles in subject encyclopedias are written by
experts, give in-depth information, and usually contain extensive bibliographies to lead
you to additional sources. |
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FAST
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GET STARTED
| Q. |
It’s been so long since I
wrote a research paper. How do I get started? |
| A. |
You would probably benefit from
working through the library tutorial,
especially designed for distance learners. Module 1 will
offer you suggestions on choosing a topic, and Module 2
will lead you step by step through sources to use for your research paper. A good book to
consult is James Lester's
Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide. |
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HANDBOOK
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INTERNET
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JOURNALS
| Q. |
What is a journal? How is this
different from a magazine? |
| A. |
A journal is much more
scholarly than a magazine. Articles in a journal are in-depth and are written by an
authority in that particular field. Magazines are written for a general audience. The term
periodical includes both magazines
and journals. |
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KEYWORD
| Q. |
What is keyword searching? How is
this different from searching for a subject? |
| A. |
Keywords are natural language, whereas a subject heading is a very
controlled term that is set by the Library of Congress. Click here to learn more about searching electronic
catalogs by keyword and subject headings. |
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
| Q. |
What do I need to know about the
Library of Congress? |
| A. |
The Library of Congress
Classification System is the system that most academic libraries use to shelve their books
and other materials. Click
here to learn more about the Library of Congress Classification System and call
numbers. |
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MLA
| Q. |
Is there something that will show
me examples of how to cite my sources using MLA format? |
| A. |
Yes, click here to see a list of all types of MLA
examples, or click here to see a sample research paper
followed by a sample works cited page. |
| Q. |
Are there websites that will help
me with my MLA format? |
| A. |
Yes, there are several websites
that are designed to help students with MLA Format. |
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NEWSPAPERS & PERIODICALS
| Q. |
As a distance learner, how can I
get the full-text of newspaper and magazine articles? |
| A. |
You can use the
Online Databases to access
web based databases like Academic Search Premier, Facts.com, Newspaper
Source, InfoTrac Custom Newspapers, CQ Researcher, or SIRS Knowledge Source – all of which include the full-text of articles. |
| Q. |
Can I read current newspapers and
magazines on the Internet? What about yesterday’s or last week’s newspaper or
magazine? |
| A. |
Many daily newspapers are on the
web for the current day only, and some magazines are on the web with abstracts of their
articles or with offers of on-line subscriptions available to the viewer. Click here to see more
information about Internet periodical and newspaper articles. |
| Q. |
How do I locate articles about
events that happened ten, twenty, or more years ago? |
| A. |
From the
Online Databases page, click on the drop-down menu for "What are you
looking for?" and select "History." This will give you a selection of
databases where you can find articles about historical events. New York
Times Historical goes back to 1851 and is excellent for U.S. history. Or, use the print
index titled The Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature to locate
articles that would be too old to be in an electronic index. Reader's Guide
indexes articles published all the way back to 1900. |
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PARENTHETICAL NOTES
| Q. |
How do I do parenthetical notes in
my research paper? |
| A. |
Click here to
see the basic rules for parenthetical documentation, or click here to see how they
actually should look in a sample research paper. |
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PLAGIARISM
| Q. |
What constitutes plagiarism? |
| A. |
Click here to see how to avoid plagiarism. |
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QUOTATIONS
| Q. |
Can I find quotations on the
Internet? |
| A. |
Yes, click here to see sites that locate
quotations. |
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RESEARACH PAPER
| Q. |
It’s been so long since
I’ve done a research paper. How do I get started? |
| A. |
Modules 1
and 2 of the library tutorial for distance learners will help you get off to a good
start. |
| Q. |
What can I do to keep my research
organized? |
| A. |
Click here to see suggestions for ways you can
plan your research and save time. |
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SEARCH ENGINES
| Q. |
There are so many search engines
on the Internet. How do I know which is best for finding certain types of information,
like images, or dates? |
| A. |
The search engine Google is our recommendation for the best and most accurate search engine.
Use Google Scholar if you need
more serious research. We also recommend using
Librarian's Index to the Internet for top sites. Also, the Nueva School in Hillsborough, California has a good web page that will
help you
Choose the Best Search for Your Information Need. |
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SIRS
| Q. |
I’ve used SIRS (Social Issues
Resources Series) for one of my sources. How do I cite this type of source on my works
cited page? |
| A. |
SIRS is a reprint
series available in print and also in an online subscription electronic
database. Click here to
see examples for citing SIRS from both print versions and an online subscription
electronic database version. |
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STATISTICS
| Q. |
How can I find statistics on the
Internet? |
| A. |
Click here to see sites that
contain statistical information. |
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TOPIC SELECTION
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URL
| Q. |
What is a URL? What do I need to
know about this to use the Internet? |
| A. |
URL stands for uniform resource locator. It
is a unique address of a specific site on the World Wide Web. Click here to learn how to read a
URL or web address. |
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VOCABULARY
| Q. |
Some of the vocabulary used in
library research confuses me. How can I know what is meant by terms like abstract,
citation, full-text? |
| A. |
These are terms that are used to describe how newspaper and
magazine articles are indexed and presented. |
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WORKS CITED LIST
| Q. |
What information will I need to
copy from my source to use later for my works cited list? |
| A. |
Click
here to see a list of the type of information you’ll need to cite books,
periodicals and web pages. |
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XYZ
An eXceptional
research paper is what You’ll have, if you
Zero in on the great tips and information in
the Library Tutorial for the distance learner.
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